Actress and presenter Lynda Bellingham, who had been suffering from cancer, died yesterday "in her husband's arms", her agent Sue Latimer said today.
The 66-year-old star, best known for her long-running role as a mother in the Oxo TV adverts, had been battling colon cancer, which later spread to her lungs and liver, since being diagnosed in July last year.
The actress said she decided to end her treatment on August 13 to limit the amount of suffering her family would witness.
In a statement on behalf of Bellingham's family, her agent said: "Lynda died peacefully in her husband's arms yesterday at a London hospital.
"Her family would like to thank the nurses and staff for their tremendous care and support.
"Actor, writer and presenter - to the end Lynda was a consummate professional."
Lynda Bellingham's most famous role kept her on our screens for almost two decades - even if it was in the commercial breaks in between programmes.
The actress, best known for playing the Oxo mum in a series of adverts for the stock cubes, openly discussed her decision to stop her cancer treatment earlier this year.
She was one of the presenters of ITV's Loose Women and told her co-hosts she was "in a good place" when she made the decision, saying: "It is essential to feel you have some control of your life."
In an emotional message, she told viewers: "Grasp it all, don't be afraid, enjoy the bits you can and tell your family you love them while you have the chance."
The actress was diagnosed with colon cancer little over a year ago, which later spread to her lungs and liver.
The 66-year-old was born in Montreal on May 31, 1948 after her father, an airline pilot, moved there for work, but she grew up near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
She got her first taste of stage success at school before going on to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama, followed by a steady succession of roles in theatre, film and television.
Prominent parts included playing Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great And Small, and the title role in sitcom Faith In The Future.
On stage, she appeared at the Old Vic and the Royal Court and in the West End production of Calendar Girls.
She was awarded an OBE in 2013 for charity work, and wrote her memoirs and a novel.
She married three times and is survived by her two sons.
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